The original G series EQ!!!

[amillar]

I've just found this while clearing out one of my sheds and thought you would enjoy this photo - this is genuinely the very original prototype G series EQ! Bodged onto a 132 / Pultec EQ. Behind it is I guess one of the first pre-production G series EQs (as the PCB isn't coated) which was with it.

I don't necessarily recommend building prototypes like this!! I'm guessing I must have built it, if Paul had built it it would have been much neater. Still, it worked 

So for everyone who imagined SSL's prototypes were beautifully crafted works of art, err...no!

Cheers,

Andy

[horizonsound]

Awesome Andy!

I love the way you burnt out the fusing resistor, then simply soldered another one over the top of it.

Anthony.

[oyanliz]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for sharing a bit more of SSL history!

Nice prototype photo!

Best regards

Oihan

[amillar]

I love the way you burnt out the fusing resistor, then simply soldered another one over the top of it.

Actually that's a good point - we always did that, and the same with the picofuses on the 611, until we were certain we'd solved the problem that blew the resistor / fuse in the first place - saves wrecking the PCB by constantly desoldering them.

Good 611 fault fixing tip!

[pascal.verdet]

Hi Andy,
Thanks
Cheers,
Pascal

[jimlfixit]

Hi Andy

Loads of fast fixing going on there Andy. Forget what it looks like, just get it working so it can be put into production.
Was that the second Eq card made for a different part of the USA as the original 02 card sounded a bit harsh for the West coast?
I remember playing my loud Sonor snare drum for ages in the Acorn studio about 1981 whilst some of you engineers mucked with the sound in the Control Room in order to adjust the EQ sound for a new version. I think Paul Frindle was involved but could have involved both of you.

I also played drums at Air studios in London for Focusrite (Phil Dudderidge) who were comparing the old Neve input module on the console there with their own new version.
Also played drums at Oxford Digital to test any delay with their Digital Oxford console. Did a beat, then tom fill overdubs and then cymbals to see if I could here the delay whilst doing this. That was in the early 1990's I think.

[amillar]

Hi Jim, The tweaked '02 card was Trevor Stride's '242 card - I think that came out around 1984, the year I started at SSL? This one in the photo was the G series '292 which was very different, it sounds remarkably similar to the Focusright  (although I always emphasise that the circuit is very different - the Focusright was a state-variable EQ, this like all SSL EQs was a Wein Bridge).

I do vaguely remember a very long drum listening session up at Acorn, which might have been for the '242, could it have been as late as 1984 or 5? Although my main memories of Acorn are the combined smell of springer spaniel, toasted sandwich, and IIRC special brew??? Really sorry to hear that Colin Bateman - who of course was responsible for all of these - passed away, great guy. I think it was very sad that he didn't quite fit into the "corporate" SSL from the late 1980s onwards.

Cheers,

Andy